Alisto allocated a room next to his own for Atha, and assigned a maid to serve her.
After he brought Atha into the palace, Alisto ordered a carriage to be prepared.
“I'm going to the Herman family.”
Gerold followed him and presented him with some papers.
“The saint participated in the temple event today because of an arranged marriage meeting.”
Without slowing his steps, Alisto took the papers and quickly leafed through them.
“Marquis Cédric d’Albert?”
“Yes.
It's prom season, right?
And since his territory has been settled, it seems he's come looking for a mate.”
Alisto roughly understood the situation.
Not only private salons, the charity event organized by the temple was also suitable for marriage meetings between nobles.
It seemed that the saint had intended from the beginning to accompany Cedric, whose features she did not even know, in her coordinated meeting.
'Even in her first meeting'
Why?
What's the reason?
Saying to a stranger on your first meeting, “Take me and lock me up” is extremely reckless.
'Maybe you've already turned back time, or maybe you're trying something.'
Since he did not know the circumstances clearly, questions and disorganized assumptions accumulated in his mind.
“Has the prediction been revealed?”
“In two weeks.”
Alisto paused for a moment.
Saint's ability revealed after two weeks?
In retrospect, where it typically took a month from a prediction to its reveal, this timeline was unreasonably early.
Do they want to exploit this prediction to strengthen the temple's influence?
'However, it seems so fast'
Alisto paused for a moment, then returned the papers to Gerold and issued an order: “I will go first, so you prepare the marriage contract.”
A question mark appeared above Gerold's head.
“Marriage contract?
Who is getting married?”
“The Saint and I”
Gerold opened his mouth in surprise.
“What?
Suddenly?
No, no, what about Marquis Eret’s daughter?
Wasn’t your mother discussing you marrying her?”
“Miss Cecilia is not my style.”
Gerold frowned.
“That's because you're so spoiled.
Where in this world could you find a woman as beautiful and elegant as Miss Cecilia?”
Alisto laughed lightly at his brother's words, which revealed his intentions.
“If beauty is enough, then your taste is truly simple.”
The two brothers continued talking until they reached the carriage.
“This is not like frying beans over a fire of lightning!
Why all the rush?
Does this have anything to do with prediction?”
Alisto had seen the prediction on his own.
Until now, he had not shared it with anyone, and he had no intention of sharing it with anyone yet.
“No.
Prediction was similar to the previous generation.
Seeing the future and not being able to share it with anyone.”
Alisto opened the carriage door, turned to his brother and said seriously: “I like the saint.
An ideal I never thought existed in the world.”
Gerold's expression distorted strangely.
“How long have you known her?
Only a few hours, how do you know if she matches your ideal or not?”
“My idealism is not something I can know by living with it for a long time, nor is it something I can be ignorant of by seeing it for a short time.”
The two brothers' dialogue was like a spear and a shield.
Gerold beat his chest with his fists as if he did not understand, while Alisto was excessively calm.
"Okay, let's say she is your ideal and matches your taste perfectly.
But how can that be a reason for marriage?
The most important thing is the heart.
Did you feel loved?"
The better answer here would have been to say he felt the love, but Alisto didn't.
He knew that his brother, who always looked only at him, would immediately realize that it was not love.
Then he will ask him why he is getting married, and no other lies will help.
He didn't talk about love, but said in a steady and firm tone: "I want her.
Even if I miss her and end up in divorce later, I must have her at least once."
Gerold opened his mouth again.
What his brother showed was not love, but greed.
"No, it's not love at first sight, nor because she's your ideal.
Rather, you want to marry her because you want to own her?
Is there a person in the world who thinks like that?!"
Alisto patted his brother on the shoulder and looked directly at him: “Love is not important to me.”
So, what's important?!
Gerold, dreaming of a perfect and rational fate, was about to scream, but he barely restrained himself.
He was guessing the answer, and it was even more terrifying to hear it directly from his brother's mouth.
While he closed his mouth, Alisto patted his brother on the head once and then climbed into the carriage.
Gerold sighed deeply.
'No matter how much I respect my brother, he is very different.'
He knew that his brother was not like ordinary people.
Alisto was extremely charming, and his words carried an innate authority and dignity that could not be infringed.
No matter how much he tried to imitate him and learn from him, there were clear limits to his exceptional talent.
It wasn't just innate prestige, Alisto possessed an incredibly strong controlling streak.
But even if so, could these be the criteria for marriage?
***
Gerold felt anxious and intimidated by the word “taste,” but in truth, this was an outright lie from Alisto.
Of course, Alisto had taste.
But he did not believe in its existence in the world.
If he wants to describe his taste convincingly, she is someone who finds satisfaction and comfort only in his shadow, and obtains freedom through him.
In more plain words, someone who can satisfy his endless desire to possess.
Someone who accepts his tendency to control everything, and lives comfortably in the environment he provides.
Of course, he did not expect such a perfect person to appear in his life.
He decided that his idealism did not exist in this world, which is why he was able to go ahead with the marriage of the saint.
If he had any hope of meeting his partner someday, he would have kept a place free for her.
anyway.
'I was lucky.'
In such circumstances, the presence of a saint was for him a godsend.
He devised a perfect plan to seize the throne, but progress was not smooth.
The Emperor's powers were still hiding in the shadows.
Now was crucial.
If he could obtain the time rewind ability in this period, the probability of success would increase greatly.
‘To reduce the variables, I must get my hands on Saint by any means.’
As the saint starts talking about her dream with a handsome man, he can pretend to be in love, talking about a woman who only looks at him and about a romantic relationship.
Alisto knew very well that winning someone's heart was the way to keep him by his side.
People's hearts are diverse, and Alisto chose “love” as the tool to use with Saint.
He intended to feign ignorance of her ability.
If he shows knowledge of her ability early, she will be cautious.
It would have been better to approach her humanely to build trust.
And what if...
He couldn't get it?
‘Then, I will make sure no one gets it.’
By any means.
***
Meanwhile, Count Hermann's family home was in complete chaos.
A messenger from Marquis Cédric d'Albert has just arrived, bringing news that Atha has not appeared in the temple's lavender garden.
Freydis, a former saint and Atha's mother, received a huge shock and swayed, so nearby maids rushed to support her.
Freydis started moaning as if she had been sick for months.
For her, Atha was her most precious possession.
Especially now, as the Saint's ability had not yet been revealed, this period was her most valuable.
Of course, if Atha obtained a special ability, her value would increase even more, but this possibility was small.